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Favorite Things Friday

I love a good DIY project. Here are some that I’ve done lately or are on top of the list of projects I want to tackle. Don’t worry, these are really easy, finish in a couple hours, or at the most a day, kind of projects. Have fun!

My paternal grandmother taught my mother how to knit. I just can’t remember which one of them taught me. Regardless, I grew up in household full of yarn, and I’ve been knitting ever since.

You want to hear a funny story? Well, at least I think it’s funny. When my mom found out she was pregnant with me she started knitting a blanket. This was in 1979. In and of itself that isn’t a very interesting thing until you find out that she didn’t stop knitting that blanket until I graduated from high school…in 1998. Yeah. She knitted the same blanket for almost 19 years. It’s so freakin’ gigantic that it quadruples a king sized bed. Imagine that for a moment…

I promise it’s true.

This blanket holds a bit of irony for me too. One would think that if my mother can knit something the size of a small house, that I would have the ability to knit something larger then a shoe. But alas, that is simply not the case. My knitting attention span is so small that I restrict my self to pint sized projects, which is why I knit almost exclusively items for pint sized people. Babies, to be more exact (which is also funny, as I have no children).

1) If I had a knitting or craft room I would want this print hanging in it. 2) I really want to make something with this pretty blue yarn. 3) I’m definitely in need of a yarn bowl. I have cats. They like to play with yarn. This would make my life easier. 4) I want a craft closet that looks exactly like this. 5) This may be the first adult sized thing that I make. 6) I think this says it all.

My favorite thing this week isn’t exactly a thing, it’s a color! Coral, to be exact. Yeah, I know coral is a springy/summery shade and it’s almost fall. But, I’m just not ready to give up on it yet. Just pare it with brown or navy blue and I think it will help you transition to fall just fine.
1) Isn’t this photo just fabulous?! It makes me want to go find fields full of flowers just to photograph. And yeah, that was some alliteration magic you just read.

6) And how about a little liquour? The Sarasota: 1 large bottle of Moscato or Riesling Wine 1 can of raspberry lemonade concentrate a splash of sprite and crushed raspberries. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

I absolutely love the rain. Any of you who know me at all, now this. Though I guess growing up in the often gloomy and gray Pacific Northwest, gave me no real choice but to love it. Living here in San Francisco often makes me miss the rain because we don’t really get much of it down here. At least not the way it rains back home! I’m talking that downpour, drenching, sit inside with a good book because its too wet to go outside, kind of rain. Yep, I just love it.

1) I just love this picture of the rain 2) You can buy this rain print on ETSY 3) This is my favorite bag to carry around in the rain because the inside is waterproof! 4) Bob Marley sure got it right. Too bad I don’t have a link to buy this print. 5) I’m in love with the classic Burberry trench. Though if you don’t have $1,500 laying around you can find good substitute versions at Gap and Banana Republic. 6) Also in love with these classic green Hunter wellies. I could stomp in some major puddles in those babies.

I’ve decided that since I’m not doing Wedding Update Thursday anymore that the little ole blog needed a replacement weekly column. So, I’ve decided to start Favorite Things Friday. This way you get to take a little glimpse into some of my favorite obsessions. Of course I’ll include links so you can check them out too if you want.

First up is COFFEE. I just love coffee. Love love love it. Though, I didn’t always love it. It took me a while to really figure it out. And, naturally I had a few mishaps along the way to coffee snobbery.

I remember the very first coffee drink I ever had. It was in high school. A gal friend and I were headed to the homecoming football game, and decided to stop at the local Starbucks. I figured that was a good enough time as any to step outside of the hot chocolate box and delve into the coffee world (but not too far outside my comfort zone). I decided on a Tall White Chocolate Mocha. And maaaaan was it good, and sweat, and caffeinated! I don’t remember if we won that game or not, but I do remember how jittery I was from that first yummy cup.

Next up on this bumpy road was college. At that point, I still wasn’t a daily coffee drinker. I was holding out…why, I can’t quite remember. But there was one day I do remember particularly well. I had pulled an all-nighter (one of many) writing a paper for my Shakespeare class. I was exhausted. Some genius classmate suggested that I hit up the local coffee shop for something called a Triple Shot Black Tiger Mocha. Simply based off the name alone, I should have known better. But who really listens to their common sense when in college? Clearly not me. I got that drink. I drank that drink. And, I regretted that drink for entire rest of the day (and most of that night).

Then I really discovered coffee. Espresso actually. In the form of a cappuccino from Stumptown in Portland. And the rest is history. Plain ole drip coffee? I don’t think we can be friends any more (just kidding, kind of). We ran out and bought our own fancy espresso maker. We’re members of the Starbucks Sucks Club (if only there really was such a thing). I discovered that I really don’t like much of anything sweet in my coffee, much preferring to savor the flavor on it’s own. I have my favorite coffee cup, and yes, I have become completly addicted.

So if you don’t love coffee, or if you just haven’t gotten around to giving it it’s fair chance, then here are the links from the pic above to help you along the way.

1) I want this print hanging in my kitchen right about my espresso machine. 2) I love these polka dot coffee cups (but these are sold). You can find similar ones still on sale here. 3) REI’s Table Top French Coffee Press because it would be perfect for camping. 4) Stumptown Coffee. Their Hair Bender blend is my favorite. And don’t worry, if you don’t live in Portland, they’ll ship it to you. 5) A Chemex glass coffee maker. I want one of these soooo bad. 6) There isn’t really a link for this one…I just want to learn how to make pretty designs in the foam of my coffee.

Travel - recipes - books - product reviews - DIY - and other glimpses into our everyday lives. This blog is about a little bit of everything.
So, if you like any of those things I think we'll get along just fine. So, sit down, stay a while and take a glimpse into this circus of a life we’ve created for ourselves. I’m really glad you’re here.